Material Technologies was founded in 1981 in Rockford, Illinois. We were initially a provider of metallurgical processes for the machine tool and agricultural industries. We soon found ourselves using that knowledge to improve industrial tooling and cutting tool performance. As word of our successes spread, there were some in the racing community that sought us out to help with some very interesting challenges. As time went by, it was clear that we had something to offer that group and it was obvious to us they only cared about one thing. Making things better. It was the beginning of an interesting journey that would bring us 26 years later, into a world that we never dreamed of.

MicroBlue was truly an accidental discovery. We did not invent tungsten disulphide, Stanford University did that for NASA back in the 1960's. We just developed a process system that finally produced superior bond characteristics, high deposition rates with remarkable consistency.

There's no question, 2007 was a rough and challenging year for us. And that brought about many changes. Sure, we've taught many racers how to go fast, and our bearings? Well, they speak for themselves. But looking back, it started a sequence of events that we feel, may help the country be more productive make the planet a cleaner place to live.

This all started in 2006. That year we were involved in the NHRA Pro-Stock bike class. Our job was to take a veteran of the Harley Drag series and help him be competitive in his rookie year of professional competition. Our part was simple enough, do our best to help create the most powerful (and reliable) powerplant in the class. For those who know what we're talking about, we think we did our job rather well. For those who do not, an example can be seen here: St. Louis '06  The point is, that year was the first time we saw major horsepower increases. We didn't understand it at the time, but all we knew we were fast.

For 2008, we made the decision to focus on exploring the many ways MicroBlue can make engines work more efficiently.
This time, we would be an active participant with our clients for an entire season. What that has given us, is a wealth of information to build on. Our clients use virtually every engine type. From high-horsepower diesel tractors to alcohol fueled go karts and everything in between. What has this taught us? That the standards of accepted engine efficiency and performance is no where what it can be. We are truly in un-charted territory. How far can we go? Time will tell, but do you know of anyone else that can make a common 2-cycle leaf blower run on a 200/1 gas-oil mixture?

We're proud of those lean burn leaf blowers. Why is that? Because it truly demonstrates how powerful MicroBlue can be when it comes to lubricant efficiency. That's because MicroBlue (unlike other coatings) changes the way lubricants work, we as we have said for years, that this has given rise to what we call "new rules". And nothing demonstrates this better than our lowly leaf blowers. With the coming demise of 2-stroke engines in Moto GP for example, manufacturers have devoted a considerable amount of research time trying to reduce their need for oil in the fuel to the extent we have? Now consider the fact that the overwhelming number of vehicles in the developing world are powered by these heavily polluting engines. What if there was a quick and inexpensive way to clean them up?

As of late, we are better understanding the variables that have contributed to the improvements we have seen in engines. The most exciting part is that we have seen these play out in every engine type that we have worked on. Which is everything (after all, a piston has the same basic function in all of them). We truly feel we are on the threshold of a new level of engine cleanliness and efficiency. Now all that is needed is a little public awareness and support. And we have a plan for that.

As far as our plans for the future, we're going to keep moving forward. We've just scratched the surface of engine efficiency advancements . How far can it go? We're not sure, but we think a recent commentit by a colleague sums it up best:
"(that) the paradigm of combustion, as we currently understand it, is in a state of transition".
We couldn't have said it any better.